Topic: Hurricane Ivan
Compass in times of crisis
In the newspaper’s 60-year history, it has always been a trusted source of news to inform the people of the Cayman Islands.
This was of...
Year in Review: Documenting Ivan’s destruction
WATCH: In a partnership with the Cayman Compass to commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Ivan, photographer Courtney Platt reshot some of the most striking images from his book ‘Paradise Interrupted’.
‘The Resilience of Cayman’: National Museum remembers Hurricane Ivan
The Cayman Islands National Museum has opened its latest exhibition, 'The Resilience of Grand Cayman: Surviving Hurricane Ivan'.
Remembering Ivan: Heritage hit by storm
Some of Grand Cayman’s oldest cultural landmarks were badly hit in Hurricane Ivan, while others stood the test of time.
Remembering Ivan: Ivan immortalised
In the two decades that have passed since Hurricane Ivan, books and films have documented its destruction, and the life-changing effect it had on all who experienced it.
Remembering Ivan: Readers’ reflections
As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan is marked this September, Cayman Compass readers share their memories of the storm.
Remembering Ivan: Animals injured and abandoned
It wasn’t just the human population of Grand Cayman that suffered during and after Hurricane Ivan – many animals were also affected by the storm.
Handling Hurricane Ivan trauma
Mental Health experts have urged residents embrace self-care as the increase publication of images and videos marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan's devastating passage could be triggering.
In their own words: Compass team remembers Hurricane Ivan
The Cayman Compass has been part of documenting history-making events, like Hurricane Ivan as it unfolded and, like many in the community, our team also experienced the storm's wrath.
Remembering Ivan: Massive clean-up
In the days and months after Ivan hit Grand Cayman, the community united to rebuild the island. Around 95% of homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed in the storm. Everyone pitched in to restore essential services and regain a sense of normalcy. The cleanup effort was a massive undertaking that required teamwork – and great resolve.
Remembering Ivan: The Ivan effect
Dani Coleman, director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands, outlines what has been done since Hurricane Ivan to increase the territory’s readiness for disasters.
Remembering Ivan: Evacuating after Ivan
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, thousands of expatriates and Caymanian residents were evacuated from Grand Cayman.
Documenting Ivan’s destruction: The camera in the eye of the storm
If a picture tells a thousand words then Courtney Platt's post-Ivan collection is its own library. In a special project with the Cayman Compass, the veteran photographer has reshot some of his most striking images 20 years later.
Hurricane Ivan past and present: Photos reveal dramatic changes 20 years on
It’s hard to imagine the utter devastation Hurricane Ivan left in its wake. Today, 20 years later, there are only a few lingering signs of its impact. Explore the stark differences in these photos taken by Courtney Platt following Ivan in 2004, and present day in 2024.
Remembering Ivan: Hurricane Ivan timeline
How Ivan gained strength before devastating the Cayman Islands.
911 operator during Ivan: ‘Callers were screaming and shouting for help’
Even though Hurricane Ivan barrelled through the Cayman Islands 20 years ago, the haunting sights and sounds of the devastating storm have stayed with Nadine Davis and Alan Cameron Bush.
The tale of the tankard: The making of an iconic Ivan image
It was a bittersweet moment when Peter Davey sat on the tiled floor of what was once his kitchen and held his precious pewter tankard out towards the photographer’s lens.
Remembering Ivan: Utter devastation
When people emerged after Hurricane Ivan, the general reaction was shock and disbelief. Grand Cayman was unrecognisable.
Remembering Ivan: Ivan babies
Pregnant women in Cayman had an extra layer of stress to deal with as Ivan barrelled its way towards Cayman.
Remembering Ivan: Survival stories
The following accounts are excerpts from Terri Merren’s book, ‘Hurricane Ivan Survival Stories’.
Emergency alert to be activated to mark Hurricane Ivan anniversary
The National Emergency Notification System app, known as NENS, will issue an alert as part of a planned exercise to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan on Wednesday, 11 Sept.
Remembering Ivan: Terri Merren documents the storm in a book
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in Grand Cayman, Terri Merren was moved by the dramatic stories of the survivors she met around the devastated island.
Remembering Ivan: Ivan rages
One of the most powerful Atlantic storms in history struck Grand Cayman in September 20 years ago. Hurricane Ivan was the size of the state of Texas – and left an indelible mark on the nation.
Remembering Ivan: Logbook chronicles devastating storm
The Cayman Islands Fire Department logbook records an hour-by-hour account of storms that have assailed Cayman.
Remembering Ivan: Stormy days for Governor Dinwiddy
In an interview in 2014, the late Governor Bruce Dinwiddy spoke of his experience of the hurricane and his shock at the devastation.
New regional campaign aims to enhance resilience against hurricanes
While the lessons of Hurricane Ivan have changed how governments look at risk and disaster management, 20 years on there is still work to be done to protect vulnerable communities, according to the head of a regional risk insurance body.
Caymanian filmmaker’s ‘Ivan’ to debut at Hawaiian film festival
Jazz Pitcairn was just 5 years old when Hurricane Ivan blasted its way through Grand Cayman. Now, almost two decades later, she has transferred that devastating experience onto the big screen and her directorial debut short movie will be shown at an international film festival next month.
Caymanians in Tampa hunker down as Hurricane Idalia approaches
As seasoned hurricane veterans, Anne Rice and Jannet Lawrence know to stock up when the season starts, especially having lived through the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.
Government buys hurricane-hit site for ‘wellness park’
An algae-infested pool of stagnant water flanked by overgrown hedges bursting out from fractured concrete foundations is all that remains of Mariners Cove, a once popular seaside resort loved by residents and visitors alike.
Memories of Hurricane Ivan, 18 years on
For two days, between the 11 and 12 September, Hurricane Ivan hovered over the Cayman Islands pummeling the islands before moving on leaving a path of death and destruction in its wake.
Climate change’s biggest threat may be to Cayman’s economy
One of the greatest climate-associated risks facing the islands is the threat that insurers could pull out of Cayman, a global risk specialist has warned.
Remembering Hurricane Ivan 17 years later
For many people around the world, the date 9/11 is synonymous with the attack on the World Trade Centre which claimed an estimated 3,000...
Ivan’s ghost still haunts Cayman homes
Almost two decades after the Category 4 hurricane, Ivan’s ghost still haunts homes across Cayman.
Hurricane Ivan still haunts survivors
A look back at the impact of Hurricane Ivan, 16 years after it devastated Grand Cayman.
Lunds unveil plans for healing domes
A unique ‘healing resort’ featuring dome-shaped bungalows on the site of the hurricane-hit Mariners Cove complex in Grand Cayman is aiming to open by December 2020, according to the developer.
EDITORIAL – ‘After Ivan’: Reflections on an anniversary
For the portion of our population who were not present when the hurricane hit, it is somewhat difficult to express (but nearly impossible to overstate) the impact that Ivan had on the physical landscape and societal fabric of this country.
Rainy weather soaks Cayman
As the 14th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan arrives, Cayman and its Caribbean neighbors are eying three hurricanes – Florence, Isaac and Helene – that are moving through the Atlantic.
East End’s Survivors Road named as a reminder of Hurricane Ivan
The residents of what is now known as Survivors Road, off East End’s John McLean Drive, had reason to be thankful following 2004’s Hurricane Ivan.
BVI still reeling from 2017 hurricane season
Irma’s damage proving to be worse than Ivan’s
Turning Cayman’s sea scenes and sunsets into works of art
A dive instructor, businessman, teacher and underwater photographer-turned-painter is creating waves on canvas, inspired by his fascination with the sea.
Bovell: Catastrophic hurricanes bring stark reminders of 2004’s Ivan
In light of the recent Category 5 hurricanes the Caribbean has had to endure, 13 years to the day since the Cayman Islands suffered at the hands of its own worst hurricane in living memory, Hurricane Ivan, I thought it would be useful to take a look at what we have learned from our experiences and, more worryingly, what we have not learned.
Old Hyatt going down in flames
Firefighters battled for more than an hour Tuesday evening to extinguish a blaze on the upper floor of the derelict Hyatt hotel. Thick black smoke could be seen pouring from the roof of the building and across the skyline.
Hazard Management chief receives award
Hazard Management Cayman Islands Director McCleary Frederick was named the first international recipient of the Governor’s Hurricane Conference Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to disaster preparedness and recovery.
‘We have to be ready’: Storm trackers prepare for hurricane season
Storm trackers flew into Grand Cayman on Tuesday on their public awareness tour ahead of the Caribbean’s hurricane season.
St. Patrick’s Irish Jog turns 25
The much-loved St. Patrick’s Day 5k Irish Jog turns 25 this year! Started as part of Butterfield’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in 1993, the Jog has grown each year to raise more funds for the islands’ most deserving charities and not-for-profit organizations.
Cayman art therapist promotes creative alternative for wellness
For artist Anne-Marie Diaz and her family, 2004’s Hurricane Ivan ravaged not only their home but their sense of safety and understanding of life in the Cayman Islands. She witnessed her brother, who has Down Syndrome, fall silent, unable to describe the pain and terror of his experience.
In memory of Hurricane Ivan
Before Hurricane Ivan, I can recall those wonderful times when we had no such thing as a “hurricane season.”
Peak storm season approaches a day before Ivan anniversary
They call it the “season within the season” – the eight weeks from Aug. 22 that is considered “the most active and dangerous time” for tropical storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
EDITORIAL – The lasting legacy of ‘Ivan the Terrible’
Just as Western history is divided into two grand epochs — B.C. and A.D. — Cayman’s modern history is also bifurcated — “before Ivan” and “after Ivan.”
Police: Mobile homes abandoned ‘for years’
Two mobile homes that police said had been abandoned for at least two years burned in a fire in North Side district late last week.
UK releases two decades of governors’ restricted memos
Revealing everything from local and international political intrigue, to “white elephant” projects, to a general preference toward the sport of cricket over baseball, annual reports sent by Cayman Islands governors to Britain between 1987 and 2005 have been released by the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
One family’s battle with foreclosure
Emily Seymour, 67, surveys the scene from the front porch of the home she has owned for 30 years.
